DOON VIEW CAVE
30.433300,78.083300
Description
NOTE 1: WILSON (1976: 103; 1977b: 67) and John E. K. Turner (in DURRANT et al. 1979: 14) do not mention any entrance of what they called »one cave« or »a fair sized cave« (no name mentioned) but WILSON (1977: 15) noticed a »fair sized entrance«, TURNER (1977b: 44) a »larger cave entrance«, Jane M. Wilson in DURRANT et al. 1979: 38) an "»impressive cave entrance« and Turner (in DURRANT et al. 1979) an »obvious opening.« It is when we come to Scherzer (1991.11 Mss) that we learn that the entrance is more than 5 m wide and 4 m high. NOTE 2: »Das imposante Eingangsportal liegt nach wie vor and der Straße von Mussoorie nach Dehra Dun und befindet sich rund 100 m oberhalb des Abzweigs zum St. George's College. Der Eingang ist nun aber hinter Werbetafeln versteckt und fällt nicht mehr, so wie in früheren Jahren, schon beim Vorbeifahren sofort ins Auge. Vom Bus aus verpasst man ihn jetzt« (Scherzer 1991.11 Mss). NOTE 3: »Der Eingangsbereich, der durch das 5 x 4 m große Portal viel Licht erhält, ist mit seinem ebenen, staubig - sandigen Boden ein idealer Lager- oder Wohnplatz. Davon zeugen mit Steinbrocken abgegrenzte Areale, zahlreiche Reste von Feuerstellen und Unmengen von Müll. Nach etwa zehn Metern wird der Gang allmählich enger und über eine Rutsche aus lockerer Erde erreicht man zunächst ein Kämmerchen und schließlich die engste Stelle der Höhle. Es ist ein Durchschlupf senkrecht nach Oben, wobei Körperkontakt mit dem Fels unvermeidbar ist. Bevor man aber hier durchschlüpfen kann muß man sich von Fledermäusen beschimpfen lassen, die im Kämmerchen eine Wochenstuben eingerichtet haben. Die engste Stelle ist nach 3 m überwunden und führt zu einem Tunnelgang (5 x 3 m; B x H). Über einen Lehm- und Verbruchkegel geht es weiter aufwärts. Der ober Teil des Kegels besteht aus zähklebrigem Höhlenlehm und hält einen am Boden der Tatsachen fest. Sich vorwärts bewegen kann auch deshalb nur langsam vonstatten gehen, weil die Luft sehr mit Fledermäusen erfüllt ist. Bei dieser Unmenge von Fledermäusen ist der penetrante Geruch von Ammoniak kein Wunder. Nach dem Lehmhügel geht der Gang durch Versturzbrocken hindurch in einen von weiterem Versturz geprägten Gangabschnitt. Die Dimensionen sind wieder ähnlich wie zuvor. Hier trifft man vor allem eine sehr kleine Art von Fledermäusen an. Am Ende dieses Höhlenteils ändert sich der Gangcharakter plötzlich. Ein tonnenförmiger, rund 2 m durchmessender Gang führt noch gut 5 m weiter und endet in einer unpassierbar engen Spalte. Charakteristisch für diesen letzten Teil der 75 m langen Höhle ist der schwarze, mit weißen Quarzadern durchzogene Fels, der sich auch als Split (Körnung ein bis zwei Zentimeter) auf dem Boden befindet. Der Fels hier unterscheidet sich völlig von dem sonst in der Höhle anstehenden, hellen Gestein, das dünnbankig ist und von Eisenerzadern durchzogen« (Scherzer 1991.11 Mss). NOTE 4: Scherzer (1991.11 Mss) noticed in June 1991 three different kinds of bats: »Anschließend seien … mindestens drei Fledermausarten als Bewohner erwähnt.« NOTE 5: Mostly represented by the Hypogastruridae with some Isotomids and a blind, possibly troglobiotic Pseudosinella species. NOTE 6: Hypoaspis, Astigmata, Parasitus and two species of Oribatids.
A south-east facing, more than 5 m wide and 4 m high cave entrance (note 1), which lies adjacent to the road connecting Dehra Dun with Mussoorie, leads to some 75 m of ascending passage (Scherzer 1991.11 Mss) or to two »fair sized inner chambers« (up to 6 m wide, 3 m high, 15 to 20 m long) formed either in Krol Limestone (Christopher M. Smart 1994 personal communication), or in two much different rocks (Scherzer 1991.11 Mss) or in some limestone beneath a sandstone cap (TURNER 1977b: 44). ETYMOLOGY: No autochthonous, indigenous or locally known name has been identified for what has been christened or referred to as Doon Cave TURNER (1977b: 45) Doon View Cave WILSON (1976: 103; 1977: 15); Wilson (1979 in DURRANT et al. 1979: 38); Scherzer (1991.11 Mss) One Cave WILSON (1977b: 67) SITUATION 1976: »Nearly 3000 feet above where the Himalaya rises sheer out of the Doon Valley, the old British Hill Station of Mussoorie is perched on a ridge that is partially limestone. … [Here] we found one fair sized cave« (WILSON 1976: 103). SITUATION 1977: »About a mile [1.6 km along the road] below [south or south-west] Mussoorie« (TURNER 1977b: 44). SITUATION 1979.1: At Mussoorie, »about 20 miles [32 km] from Dehra Dun« (John E.K. Turner 1979 in DURRANT et al. 1979: 14). SITUATION 1979.2: »About 2 km [1.25 miles] from the old British Hill Station of Mussoorie, at an altitude of 1830 m (6000 feet), an impressive cave entrance can be seen from the Dehra Dun to Mussoorie road. The cave is about 50 m before the diversion to St. George's College and about the same distance from the start of the new by-pass to Suakholi« (Jane M. Wilson in DURRANT et al. 1979: 38). SITUATION 1979.3: »At the bridge number 214/5, 28 km from Dehra Dun on the road to Mussoorie« (TURNER 1979) SITUATION 1982: »North India, height 1000 m« (WILSON 1982: 213). SITUATION 1988: »… just south of the town is Doon View Cave, but I was unable to investigate it although I did see many rock shelters and small caves from the bus« when travelling from Dehra Dun to Mussoorie (PRICE 1988b: 32). SITUATION 1991: The impressive cave entrance is now hidden behind a huge advertising board, still lies at the side of the Mussoorie - Dehra Dun road and some 100 m uphill from the fork to St. George's College but it does not catch the eye anymore when passing by in a bus or car (note 2) (Scherzer 1991.11 Mss). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1976.1: The cave plan (121 by 192 mm, scale 1: 500) shows an approximately south or south-west facing, triangular entrance (up to about 6 m wide and 3 m high) to a solitary passage (on average 5 or 7 m wide and decreasing in height from 6 m to 3 m and less) with a floor (covered with boulders, rocks, mud and clay) descending at what seems to be a slight angle on bearings between 300° and 340° away from the entrance towards approximate WNW and ending in mud-fill (after C.M. Smart & J.E.K. Turner 1976 cave plan: Doon View Cave.- in DURRANT et al. 1979, opposite page 28). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1976.2: A comparatively »fair sized cave … less than 300 feet [91 m] long« (WILSON 1976: 103-104). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1977.1: »A larger cave entrance about a mile [most likely along the road] below Mussoorie. This cave entrance was not that which had been reported. A brief investigation showed a fair sized cave inside. Further exploration revealed three chambers formed in limestone beneath a sandstone cap. Two inner chambers were inhabited by bats« (TURNER 1977b: 44). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1977.2: At Mussoorie »… we found one fair sized cave entrance. It turned out to be a cave less than 300 feet [91 m] long but it housed a population of leaf nosed (horseshoe) bats. … As the cave had no local name, we christened it Doon View Cave before we left for Nepal« (WILSON 1977: 15). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1979.1: »A fair sized cave« (John E.K. Turner 1979 in DURRANT et al. 1979: 14). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1979.2: »An impressive cave entrance … Although this seems to be the largest cave in the Mussoorie area, it has no local name so we called it Doon View Cave. It is capped with sandstone, which, in places, forms the roof and walls of the cave and its three chambers give a total passage length of 75 m« (Wilson 1979 in DURRANT et al. 1979: 38). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1982: »Circa 100 m of passage« (WILSON 1982: 213). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1991: »Doon View Cave is the longest and largest cave in the Mussoorie town area [note 3]. The entrance area, which is well lit by the 5 m wide and 4 m high entrance, is an ideal place for camping or dwelling as it features a level floor covered with sand and dust. Several fire places, areas separated by rocks, and plenty of rubbish indicate that the cave is used by humans. Some 10 m in, the solitary passage narrows and slopes up moderately to where the most narrow part of the cave has to be negotiated and where it is impossibly to avoid bodily contact with the rock. Before you can pass this constriction, however, you'll have endure being scolded by bats as you enter their maternity ward. Climbing vertically up 3 m you gain a sizeable passage 5 m wide and 3 m high. Across rocks and mud you ascend a cone topped with sticky, yellow coloured loam. The speed of pushing on is also slowed down here due to the great density of bats in the air which explain the remarkable odour of ammonia in the rear parts of the cave. The descent from the top of the loam mound on the opposite side continues between breakdown boulders into another part of the cave featuring the dimension similar to the outer parts of the cave combined with much collapse and a very tiny species of bats. Then, the shape of the gallery changes suddenly into a vaulted "barrel profile" 2 m wide and 5 m further on the tube merges with a tight rift far too narrow to be negotiated by humans. The most interior part of the 75 m long cave is characterised by walls and ceilings exposing very dark coloured, almost black rock with thin veins of quartz. The floor is covered by same type of rocks, broken down to angular grit (1 or 2 cm large). Contrary to the interior, the outer parts of the cave are formed in multiple layered, thinly bedded and light coloured limestone marked with veins of what appears to be iron ore« (Scherzer 1991.11 Mss). CAVE LIFE: WILSON (1976: 103-104; 1977a: 15; 1977b: 67) and, in greater detail WILSON (1979 in HIMALAYA UNDERGROUND 1976: 38) observed in early September 1976 about 40 leaf nosed bats (Chiroptera: Hipposideros armiger armiger) and a lesser number of the smaller horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus macrotis macrotis) roosting in the cave (note 4) and responsible for the, in places, up to 10 cm deep bat guano deposits supplying large numbers of Collembola (note 5) and mites (note 6). Also present were Phorid flies (Conicera sp.), Histerid beetles, small spiders (Clubionidae), Oligochaete worms and pseudoscorpions: »The fauna of this cave appears to be quite different to that inhabiting the more extensive potholes near Simla (Glennie 1969). Apart from the Pseudosinella species, no troglobites or animals adapted to life in caves were living in Doon View Cave.« WILSON (1977b: 67): »Most of the animals collected from the caves of Nepal and Mussoorie [no name mentioned: Doon View Cave] … seem to be troglophiles; many are attracted to underground life because of the high humidity and the abundant sources of suitable food in the form of guano. While camped in the entrance of one cave [no name mentioned: Doon View Cave]« we were entertained at dawn by the returning bats. They would enter the cave and hang above our heads to crunch their catches from which pieces of beetle elytra and the like would fall around us. Their meal finished, each would fly deeper into the cave to roost for the day. This behaviour must be common in the cave roosting insectivorous bats as many of the caves had piles of legs, wings and wing cases just inside the entrance.«
Documents
Bibliography 28/03/2016History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1976 early September: Gillian A. Durrant, Christopher M. Smart, John E.K. Turner and Jane M. Wilson drove up to Mussoorie, saw from the passing vehicle (Landrover) »a lot of rock shelters« and eventually camped in the entrance of »one cave« (WILSON 1977b: 67), »Doon View Cave« (Wilson 1979 in DURRANT et al. 1979: 38) or »Doon Cave« (TURNER 1977b: 45). WILSON (1976: 103; 1977: 15) narrates how »surveyes and collections of bats and invertebrates took up a day. As the cave had no local name, we christened it Doon View Cave before we left for Nepal.« TURNER (1977: 44-45) noticed »… bats, of which a few were caught and many more were photographed. The cave was surveyed and given the name Doon Cave as the hill overlooked the Doon Valley.« 1991 June: Uwe Scherzer (1991.11 Mss) visited, mapped and explored.
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.9 | Camel's Back Cave (Glennie 1939) [Doon View Cave 3] | ||
| 1.9 | GEOFFREY'S GROTTO | ||
| 1.9 | MUSSORIE RIFT CAVE | ||
| 1.9 | Michael's Cave (Lower) | ||
| 1.9 | Michael's Cave 2 (Upper) | ||
| 1.9 | WARREN CAVE | ||
| 1.9 | Camel's Back Cave (Wilson 1979) | ||
| 1.9 | Doon View Cave 2 | ||
| 2.0 | KAPIL NISWAS GUPHA |